All News

December 31, 2005

New Pilots, Same Old Accidents

It will be some time before we have the statistics for 2005.
Indeed, we don't even have the Nall Report for 2004. But if history
teaches us anything, it teaches us that one year is much like
another, when you reduce it to numbers.

What Goes Up... Sends Knowledge Down

This past year, as always, presented events, some good, some
not-so-good for general aviation. Focusing first on the
“worst” of 2005 and then highlighting some of the
“best” would undoubtedly include many common items
among those who respond to ANN’s call. So I’ll try to
drill down to some items that are bubbling just below the surface
of airspace penetrations and user fees and crashes, but nonetheless
threaten great peril or show great promise for personal
aviation.

There Are Two Ways This One Can Go...

The Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft world presents us with the
dichotomy of Daedalus and Icarus. Some pundits say it's flying
straight, and some say it's destined for a plunge -- maybe not into
the Aegean, but into the regulatory equivalent of Davy Jones's
locker, where it will sleep with such regulatory blunders as
Recreational Pilot and Primary Category certification.

The highlights of the year included several ADIZ-incursion
stories, some bozos shining lasers at aircraft for fun, the DHS
shining lasers at aircraft to warn them out of the ADIZ, and more
TSA shenanigans than you could shake a stick at. These are only the
high points.

Advertisement

A Look Back At Those We Lost In 2005

Another year has passed and far too many of our aviation friends
and family have passed with it. Some have known the departed
personally; others have, perhaps, only read or witnessed their
deeds. We at ANN can only hope that time will heal the wounds and
sweeten the memories of those who have gone before us. We know they
were met with green fields and clear skies.

Well, here it is again -- years end. Only one year ago FAA had
just issued a final rule establishing sport pilot, but had little
of the infrastructure to get it working. There were virtually no
instructors nor pilot examiners. There was no way to change
fat-ultralights into light sport aircraft (for operation by sport
pilots). There was not even an application form for new sport pilot
applicants.

"To start with, these things are EX-pensive. What
happened to the idea of "affordable flying?" I've looked at the
planes Dad digs, from the Sting to the Mermaid to the Flight
Designs CT (above). The price of entry is EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
That's affordable compared to what -- a Cirrus? For eighty grand
you can buy two Cessna 172s or about 1 2/3 Piper Warriors used...
of course, you can't fly them with the Sport license, but we're
talking a larger plane with a proven safety record. I mean, if
these things are built like a set of wax wings they ought to be
priced that way, too."
Source: The legendary Icarus, of Greek
mythology (seriously), as channelled by ANN's own Kevin "Hognose"
O'Brien, on the ages-old dichotomy of the Light Sport Aircraft